Coach Torcaso mentioned that most of the WC players will be available for the Asian Games but most we're not called up for training camp due to club commitments.
Inna was still part of training camp to serve as a mentor for the young local players in camp but most likely won't be part of the final roster to the Asian Games
34 players are participating in the identification camp for the Filipinas U-17 team which is overseen by their head coach Sinisha Cohadzic.
Katrina Guillou and Pitea won against Rosengard 1-0 to pick up very important 3 points in their quest to get a Champions League spot.
One of our medical students in the WC roster defensive midfielder Ryley Bugay posted on Instagram that with a heavy heart she has decided to retire from playing competitive soccer so she can concentrate on her medical studies at Indiana U.
Lineup to the Asian Games As expected the Philippines would be missing several of their professional players that played in the WC including their best defender Angela Beard(Linkoping FC), the two players from Iceland Dominic Randle and Captain Tahnai Annis who both start for their teams, Angela Barker who probably had commitments to her company as the scientist/ biomedical engineer responsible for overseeing several product lines and Ryley Bugay who has retired from competitive soccer to concentrate on her medical studies but for the most part most of the WC contingent is available. The missing players were replaced by members of their U 20 national youth teams as well as reserves from Team B.
Young WC veterans Frilles and Flanigan also did not make the Philippine Asian team due to college or professional commitments. They also brought back local Inna Palacios as the 3rd goalie to sit on the bench and serve as a mentor for the younger local players instead of young Stanford commit Kai Jota who filled the spot in the WC. New training camp invite Zoe Hudson who plays in Portugal"s top league did not make the team this time because she wasn't included in the preliminary expanded list given to the Asian Games organizers but will be available for callup to the Olympic qualifiers.
In the 2nd round of the the U17 women's WC qualifiers the Philippines is surprisingly leading tournament favorite Australia 2-1 in their ongoing match courtesy of 14 y.o. prodigy Nina Mathelus who scored both goals. They also benefit from the inside knowledge of Aussie coach Cohadzic who knows the Aussie team. HT 2-2 The Philippines led Australia 2-0 early in the first half but the latter scored 2 late goals to tie it by the halftime break. The Aussie defense has adjusted and is now collapsing on Nina Mathelus who scored both goals for the Philippines isolating her from her teammates. Both of Australia's goals came from corners as they took advantage of their height over the Filipinas.
FT Australia U17 6-2 Philippines U17 The Australians came back from a 0-2 deficit overpoweri the smaller Filipinas 6-2. Their superiority in height, strength and fitness wore the Filipinas down the longer the game lasted.
Yes many from the Philippine side are Fil Ams with at least one Filipino parent including 14 y.o. prodigy Nina Mathelus who is eligible to play for both the US and Haiti. Some are Fil Australian or local based Filipina players as well. They still however can't match the Australian side in size, strength, fitness and physicality. Nina Mathelus also scored most of the goals in the previous stage of the AFC U17 Championships and was named to the ECNL National Selection Games where the best players in her age group(where she plays at the U16 level even though she is only 14 y.o.) in the US play and which the USSF scouts monitor. That is why I wished they called her up in the WC even at 14 y.o. to help earn the caps to lock her to the Philippine side as there is still a possibility she will be called up by the US if she continues to excel. So far though she seems to be happy playing for the Philippine U17 even turning down an invite from the Haitian Football Fed so that he can play for us.
FT. Philippines 3-1 Hong Kong. Bolden, Quezada and Guillou scored The Philippines is still adjusting to their new coach Torcaso who implemented a more possession short passing style game compared to Staj's long ball approach. Most of the starters got together for the first time under the new coach a few days ago so they had to adjust quickly. The same players you expect to make the goals scored. Bolden has the privilege of scoring the first ever goal for the Philippines in both the World Cup and Asian Games.
AFC U17 women's qualifiers FT. Philippines 3-1 Bangladesh Scoters are Preston, Mathelus and Soon Similar score for the young U17 Filipinas just like the seniors. The Philippines were unlucky not to score more with 3 balls hitting the goal posts.
The players who made the WC roster received their $30,000 bonus from FIFA thru the PFF prior to the start of the Asian Games. That should motivate them to play well and attract future pro prospects to the team.
FT. Philippine U17 1-0 Vietnam U17 Philippines advanced to next year:s AFC U17 women's Championship. The Philippines dominated the stats with more possession, shots on goal and corners and deserved to advance but Vietnam was pretty solid on defense and had some chances of their own which the Filipina defence were able to neutralize. The Filipinas also proved to be the fitter team as Vietnam's players started cramping up in the waning minutes of the match. They just need to improve on their finishing as they had so many chances on goal. Interestingly while watching the live stream on YouTube the game sounded like a home match for the Philippines even though the tournament was being held in Vietnam as the Filipino fans were very loud in cheering on the young Filipinas.
PHILIPPINES VS VIETNAM | HIGHLIGHTS | AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup 2024 Qualifiers - YouTube FT Philippines 1-0 Isabella Preston scores from long range
FT Korea 5-1 Philippines Korea took advantage of our missing starting right and left backs and repeatedly directed their attacks on the flanks. The Philippines now need to defeat Myanmar and hope to have the 3 best record and GD among the group runnerups to advance to the knockout stage.
Vietnam just lost 0-7 to Japan opening the door to a team from Grp E to advance. The Philippines in particular can advance if they win over Myanmar by 2 goals. However since the FIFA window is over, some of the Philippines players have now returned to their respective clubs in Europe leaving them shorthanded making it much more difficult to accomplish that task against a solid Myanmar defense. Forward Katrina Guillou has returned to her club in Europe at the end of the FIFA window so she won't be available for the the rest of the tournament. Interestingly the PWNT has decided to call up the 15 y.o. Captain of the U17 WNT Ari Markey who plays left back to replace her. This is both a reward for her outstanding play at outside back on the U17 team and a recognition that they need more depth at those positions on the senior team. This makes her the 3rd teenager on the team along with 17 y.o. Isabella Passion and 16 y.o. Nat Oca the latter of which made her debut as a sub against S Korea.
Sara Eggesvik scored a brace and Sarina Bolden scored again of a penalty kick to give the Philippines a 3 goal win and a seat in the quarterfinals. 2 of the teenagers Isabella Pasion and Natalie Oca played as substitutes @Dernhelm Nice work as usual!. Congratulations